Megyn Kelly Slams ABC News Moderation of Trump-Harris Debate: Calls It ‘Rigged’
In a fiery monologue on Wednesday, former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly unleashed sharp criticism against ABC News for its handling of the first presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. The event, which started as a heated exchange on foreign policy in Philadelphia, quickly became what Kelly labeled as a “rigged” debate, heavily favoring Harris.
Kelly’s harshest rebuke was directed at the network’s moderators, David Muir and Linsey Davis, accusing them of exhibiting blatant bias toward the Vice President. However, the larger revelation came when Kelly pointed fingers at Disney executive Dana Walden, who oversees ABC News. According to Kelly, Walden played a pivotal role behind the scenes and is not just a network boss but also a close personal friend of Harris. Kelly further alleged that Walden had a hand in introducing Harris to her husband, Doug Emhoff.
“I’m disgusted. I’m ashamed of those moderators at ABC News,” Kelly remarked during her broadcast. “They did exactly what their bosses wanted them to do. The person who runs ABC News is a close personal friend of Kamala Harris, and they did Dana Walden’s bidding tonight. It was three against one on that debate stage.”
“Three Against One”
Kelly painted a picture of Trump fending off not just Harris, but the moderators as well. She claimed that both Muir and Davis were overwhelmingly supportive of Harris, creating a lopsided atmosphere that hampered Trump’s ability to defend his positions. “It’s very easy to look like you know what you’re doing when both moderators are entirely on your side,” Kelly stated. “Trump did the best he could under the circumstances, but it really was like three fighters in the ring pummeling one opponent. And Trump tried to take them all on.”
Kelly went on to argue that the debate format was designed to corner Trump while letting Harris avoid tough questions. “The numerous fact checks on what he said and none on what she said—none,” Kelly emphasized. “I don’t remember a single fact check of anything she said, and she lied repeatedly. She just got away with it.”
David Muir’s Interruption Sparks Outrage
One moment that particularly irked Kelly was when David Muir interrupted Trump as he attempted to explain his remarks about the 2020 election. Trump, referencing his previous claim that he lost the 2020 election by a “whisker,” said he was being sarcastic. Muir quickly interjected, saying, “I didn’t hear sarcasm,” to which Kelly angrily responded on her show, “Who gives a [expletive] what you heard? You’re supposed to be the objective news anchor of World News Tonight.”
Kelly also criticized the debate’s overall structure, arguing that it was intentionally skewed against Trump. She claimed the moderators would grill Trump on controversial statements, while Harris received softball questions. “The worst piece of all of this is the obvious tactic by ABC News, which was as follows: ‘Mr. Trump, you said something incredibly controversial and terrible. Do you have any regrets or thoughts on how terrible you were?’ And then they’d turn to Harris and ask, ‘How bad is Trump?’ It happened over and over again.”
“Intentional Bias to Sink Trump”
Kelly was adamant that the bias was no accident but a coordinated effort to damage Trump’s candidacy. “They’re trying to steal this election,” Kelly argued. “They’re openly working to sink him. I think it was so bad, their bias against him and toward her, that it’s going to backfire.”
Despite the heavily skewed debate, Kelly believed that the American public could see through the bias and that it might even spark sympathy for Trump. “I actually think the American public is gonna see through this, and there’s probably going to be some empathy for Trump,” Kelly concluded. “No fair-minded person could think anything other than that they were in the tank for her, and it was three against one on that stage tonight.”
With this bold and provocative critique, Kelly has reignited a larger conversation about media bias, particularly in debates, and its impact on the political landscape leading up to the 2024 election. Whether her assertions will resonate with the broader public remains to be seen, but the controversy surrounding the debate is unlikely to fade soon.